In It For The Long Game
by hoffkk
Summary: Maya talks Riley into crashing a college party with her to keep the college girls away from Josh. The night doesn't go exactly as planned. Four years later, Maya is dealing with her mom's wedding, college plans, Riley's love life, and figuring out her own. She wants to trust in the universe, but in the back of her mind she can't help but wonder if hope is for suckers after all.
1. What I'm Feeling Is Real

"Maya? Riley? What are you guys doing here?" Josh questioned as he stood up from the bed he had been sitting on, face full of surprise. They were the last people he expected to see at this college party.

"Nothing. We were actually just leaving." Maya stated matter-of-factly, trying to play it cool. On the inside, she was livid. Maya was gonna kill Riley for pushing her into this room and this situation. It was obvious that she was too late. These girls were already digging their hooks into Josh, and he was clearly a willing participant.

"What are you talking about?" Riley questioned, but before Maya could stop her bubbly best friend, she babbled on. "We snuck out of my window, so you could prevent these 'college witches' from casting a spell over Josh and stealing him away."

Josh's eyes bugged, while Maya squeezed hers shut and pressed her lips into a firm line. Opening them a second later she spoke.

"Riles," Maya began slowly, " _you_ know that that's the truth, and _I_ know that, but _Josh_ was not supposed to know that." She smiled to hide her annoyance.

"Ooooh, right." Riley nodded in understanding, then looked to everyone else in the room. "Psssssht! I mean, were here to par-tay with the cool kids! Woot! Woot!" Riley said, making a raise the roof gesture for added effect.

Maya just face palmed, shaking her head. This was going so much worse than she imagined.

"Well, come on in and hang out with the party master." The guy standing next to Josh said as he popped the collar of his green button down. He was taller than Josh and had dark skin and coarse black hair. He seemed nice, but Maya wasn't interested. She just wanted to go home.

"I'm Andrew." He greeted flirtatiously, extending his hand for a shake as he flashed a smile.

"I'm in middle school." She retorted, crossing her arms.

"Whoa!" Andrew yelled, stepping back quickly, throwing his hands up in an 'I surrender' position to show he wasn't anywhere near the underage girl. "Josh, they can't be here." He said, nodding to Maya and Riley.

"I know, I get it. This was clearly a _very_ bad idea." Maya affirmed. "We'll just be going now." She added, then turned to exit the room with Riley at her side, but before she could take a step, one of the girls in the room spoke up, stopping her in her tracks.

"No, it wasn't." One of the college girls said, stepping forward towards Maya. "I think it was a very sweet idea." Maya turned and studied the girl in front of her. She wore a red sweater with a pink design across the top and skinny jeans with heeled ankle boots that accentuated her long legs. The girl also had long dark brown hair that was straightened and half-pulled up. She looked perfect, much to Maya's dismay.

Maya was about to respond, but suddenly the girl's friend got up from the bed next to the one Josh had been sitting on, and joined in the conversation. "Jasmine's right. It was totally sweet."

Annoyed at girl number two's perfection, Maya heaved a big sigh, crossing her arms again. She was like an adorable, Asian pixie with long, black hair that hung all the way down her back and bangs that covered her forehead. Her stature and outfit were similar to Jasmine's, and what she could only describe as college girl chic.

"Right, sweet." Josh faked agreement, tone dripping with sarcasm. "And not at all creepy."

Maya just rolled her eyes.

"Creepy? Please!" Andrew piped up. "I would love it if a girl did something like that for me."

Maya smiled at his sentiment, while Riley just stood silently next to her, listening to the conversation. "Well, I'm glad someone approves." Maya noted.

All of a sudden, a sorority girl busted through the door screaming, "INITIATION TIME!"

"YAY!" Riley cheered as the girl blindfolded her and walked her out of the room.

Josh shook the look of confusion off his face before chasing after them with Andrew in toe. "Come on, bring her back!" He called.

Maya just stood in an awkward silence for a moment, until the pixie girl spoke up. "So, what's the deal with you and Josh?"

"Nothing, there is no deal." Maya assured.

"Don't worry." Jasmine said. "Charlotte and I can keep a secret, now spill!" She demanded, sitting Maya down on the bed in-between them.

"Fine...the thing is, he's Riley's uncle, and I have these feelings for him, but he just sees me as this annoying little kid. So, I was hoping that if I came here tonight..." She trailed off.

"He would see you as more grown up." Charlotte finished.

Maya nodded at the girl's words.

Before they could say anything more, Andrew, Josh, and Riley came barreling back through the door.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Andrew questioned.

"None of your business, party master." Maya asserted, her tone dry.

"Maya was just clarifying a few things for us." Jasmine explained.

"Ahhh," Riley said, reading in-between the lines, "You told them about your crush on Josh, didn't you?"

"It's _not_ a _crush_!" Maya exclaimed as she stood, obviously irritated by the word. She didn't know what to consider her feelings for Josh as, but she knew it was something much more than just a stupid crush.

The college girls stood as well, wanting to push further on the subject. Instead, Josh spoke up next.

"Look, you can call it whatever you want, the bottom line is I 'm still too old for you, Maya." He told her before plopping back down in his spot on the bed. Andrew joined him.

"I know, I get it. Trust me, I've grasped the concept." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Riley."

"Wait a minute!" Charlotte demanded as she grabbed her by the forearm and turned her back around. "What are you guys on about?"

Maya let out a breath, then proceeded to explain. "Josh is 17, and I'm 14, and while _I_ see the age gap as nothing, _he_ sees it as the biggest deal in the world."

"Well, if it is any consolation, I think you're both right." Jasmine declared as Josh and Maya just stared at her quizzically.

"What do you mean?" Maya asked.

Jasmine put a hand on Maya's shoulder as she spoke. "Normally, I would agree that a three year age difference is nothing."

"Told ya." Maya said confidently, smiling broadly a Josh.

"But..." Jasmine went on. "Middle school and college are two different worlds. Right now, you two are at different places in your life, making three years a pretty significant age gap."

"Told ya." Josh smiled back as he stood up cockily.

"Sit down." Jasmine and Charlotte scolded in unison.

"Yeah, okay." Josh agreed, letting his smile fall and planting himself back on the bed.

The girls turned their attention back to Maya. This time it was Charlotte's turn to speak.

"The good news is that, in a few years, you'll be 18 and a freshman in college, and Josh will be 21." Charlotte smiled at her.

"Yeah," Jasmine agreed, "and by that time, Josh will be a lot smarter due to his college education."

"Smart enough that he just may learn to see you differently, as the brave and amazing girl that you truly are." Charlotte added.

"Then you can go from there and see what happens, assuming you still have feelings for him." Jasmine threw in.

Maya blushed and bit her lip nervously. It was weird having this conversation with two girls she barely knew, but the weirdest part was that Josh was in the room, hearing all of it.

"I guess..." Maya shrugged.

"Wait, do you really think that you'll still have this crush after four years?" Riley inquired.

"It's _not_ a _crush_!" Maya shouted for the second time tonight. "I know how I feel. I may be young, but... I _really_ like you, Josh." She said, turning to face him as she spoke the last few words.

"No, you don't." Josh stood up and stood firm. "You just _think_ that you do. In reality, you don't even really know me, Maya."

Maya was taken aback. "Are you serious right now?" She asked incredulously, fighting the urge to slap him across the face.

"He does make a good point, Maya." Riley stated, agreeing with Josh's statement. "I mean, you have only seen him a handful of times over this past year. Can you honestly say you know anything about him, specifically?"

Maya was furious. She was angry that Josh called her out on her feelings like that, but she was even angrier that Riley was taking his side. Best friends were supposed to stick together.

"You know what? You guys are right. I know _nothing_ about you, Josh, so I couldn't _possibly_ have legitimate feelings for you. For instance, I don't know that that hat you are wearing is your favorite, not only because it's blue, which is your favorite color, but because Auggie gave it to you for your birthday. Speaking of Auggie, I also don't know how you love him like he was your own brother, and I don't know how you always make time to hang out with him when you are visiting. And speaking of brothers, I also clearly have no idea how your brother Cory is your role model. I don't know that you look up to him more than anyone in the world and that that's why you drove all the way from Philadelphia just to open your letter from NYU in front of him." Maya paused to shake her head at him and let her words sink in a moment before delivering the final blow. "Yeah, you're right, Josh. I know absolutely _nothing_ about you."

Josh just stood there opened mouthed, not realizing how much she actually noticed about him. She may just know him better than some of his friends from home, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Andrew took over his silence by hitting him in the arm and saying, "Dude, what's wrong with you?"

Jasmine and Charlotte just stood there, looking impressed by Maya's speech, while Riley appeared to be almost as shocked as Josh, who finally decided to say something.

"Maya, I -" He started, but she didn't let him finish.

Maya couldn't take it anymore and finally decided to do what she had been wanting to do all night: leave.

"Just forget it. I'm outta here." Maya told him, then spun around and fast-walked out of the room.

"Maya, wait up!" Riley called as she chased after her best friend. Maya ignored her and kept walking.

"Maya, please!" Riley tried again. "I'm sorry!"

They had just exited the dormitory and walked down the front steps, when Riley yelled her apology, causing Maya to finally stop and turn around.

"For what exactly?" She queried. "For doubting my feelings or for ganging up on me with your uncle."

"Both." Riley answered. "We are best friends, Maya. That means it's our duty to always be there for each other and to back each other up, but tonight... tonight I failed my duty, I failed you. And for that I am really sorry. I just hope you can forgive me."

Riley gave her those puppy dog eyes that she wore so well, and Maya just couldn't stay mad.

"Of course, I can." Maya said then smiled. "I mean, I guess I can't blame you too much for siding with family." She relented with a shrug.

"Yes, you can because you are my family too. You aren't just my friend, Maya, you're my sister, and sisters come before uncles _every_ time." Riley smiled broadly, placing a hand on Maya's shoulder.

"Good to know." Maya grinned back before giving Riley a make-up hug.

As they hugged, Maya looked over Riley's shoulder and saw Josh coming down the stairs. When he came over, they broke their embrace.

"What do you want, Josh?" Maya asked, feeling irritated.

"To walk you two home. You guys shouldn't be out this late by yourselves." He explained.

"Thanks, we'd appreciate your company." Riley said, trying to break some of the tension.

"Whatever." Maya muttered and began walking away, keeping a good few feet in front of Josh.

Riley shrugged at her uncle, and followed her friend's lead, moving quickly to keep pace beside her.

Josh let out a breath, shaking his head as he trailed behind them. _Worst. College. Party. Ever._ He said to himself. It probably could have been a contender for the worst night ever as well, if it hadn't been for what had happened on the way home.

Josh had just walked Riley back to her family's apartment and watched her climb the fire escape up to her room. After making sure his niece was safely inside, he proceeded to walk Maya to her mom's place. They had walked a few feet, when Maya suddenly stopped and turned to face Josh, placing a hand on her hip.

"You know, you really don't have to do this. It's like a ten minute walk. I'll be fine." Maya assured, just wanting to be away from him, and done with this night.

"I know, but I'm going to anyway." Josh replied with a curt nod.

"Whatever you say, Beanie-Boy." She responded sarcastically before turning back around and continuing the walk home. Josh shook his head as he stifled a smile and followed suit.

They walked the whole way there in complete silence, though Maya did let him keep pace with her. It gave her a sense of peace. She would never admit it, but she was glad that he was walking her home, New York could be a pretty scary place after dark.

As they got to the old, battered apartment complex that Maya resided in, she felt a wave of relief. The door was only a few yards away.

She stopped and looked at Josh, who stood there indifferently, hands hidden in his pants pockets.

"Well, bye." She said bitterly. If he thought , she was gonna be nice and thank him after everything that went down tonight, he had another thing coming.

She made it two feet before she heard Josh's voice behind her. "Maya, wait..." Josh began.

" _What_?" She spat, turning around and crossing her arms.

"Please, don't be mad at me." He begged. "I mean, I know I rejected you, but- "

"Rejection? You think that's why I'm mad?" She asked disbelievingly, arching one of her blonde eyebrows. "Because you rejected me?"

"Well, yeah." Josh admitted with a shrug, not sure where she was going with this.

"Unbelievable." Maya muttered to herself, shaking her head as she threw her arms back down to her sides. "Josh, you reject me all the time, I'm used to it." She is also used to feeling rejected by her parents, but Maya wasn't about to open up that can of worms.

"So, why are you mad then?" Josh questioned, confusion apparent in his face.

"Because," She stated, placing her hands on her hips. "You didn't _just_ reject me, you completely devalued my feelings for you." Before Josh could respond, Maya continued. "Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? How insignificant I felt at that moment?"

With each question, she moved closer to him, so they were now standing right in front of each other.

Josh rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip. He didn't know that he had hurt her, but he did now. He could see the anguish in her blue eyes, and it made his heart twinge with guilt.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Maya. I was just... frustrated." He explained , placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's like, every time I start hanging out with a girl that I like, you pop up and ruin it."

With that she removed his hand and sighed. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Why not?" Josh asked curiously. "Cause you suddenly don't have feeling for me anymore?" He smirked and quirked a brow, ready to call her bluff.

"Of course, not." Maya said seriously, her tone soft. "As hard as it may be for you to understand and accept, Josh, I have real feelings for you, and I probably always will..." She trailed off before continuing with another thought. "But, I have realized tonight that sometimes having feelings for someone just isn't enough. So, starting in the next 15 seconds, I am moving on and letting you go."

"Why 15 seconds?" Josh wondered aloud.

"Because I would never forgive myself, If I didn't do one thing first." Maya told him.

"What's that?" He probed further.

"This." She said, then proceeded to grab his face between her hands and plant a soft kiss on his lips that lasted about three seconds. It was the longest, most glorious three seconds of her life. She was officially having her first kiss and with Joshua Matthews, no less.

Josh was caught completely off guard and remained frozen, while Maya kissed him. The only part of him that actually moved were his eyes, which he closed in reflex.

When Maya pulled back, she let her hands linger a moment on his face before dropping them and walking back toward her apartment unit.

With brow knitted in confusion and mouth hanging partially open, Josh watched her walk away without doing or saying anything. He was still processing what had just happened. All of a sudden, a thought struck Josh, hitting him like a bucket of cold water. Maya had just kissed him, and he _liked_ it. He shook his head, mentally convincing himself that he was just tired and his emotions were in overdrive due to the party and fight with Maya. Either way, he felt like he should say something.

"Maya?" Josh called out.

Maya had decided to just go through the front door. Her mom was home, no doubt she would be in big trouble for sneaking out, but Maya figured it was time to act like the adult she wanted to be seen as and take responsibility for her actions. She had just grabbed the door knob when she heard Josh's voice call her name. She turned around halfway to face him, hand still clutching the door. "Yeah?"

"I-I just..." Josh stammered nervously. "I wanted to say goodnight. Goodnight, Maya." He finished lamely, giving her that boyish grin that she adored.

"Goodbye, Josh." She smiled sadly, before going inside and leaving him in the darkness behind her. Once she was in the comfort of her own home, she leaned against the door and reflected on her last words to Josh.

Maya's goodbye sounded like a forever kind of goodbye, but she really hoped it wasn't. She hoped that one day Josh would come back to her. It's like that hallmark movie she caught the other day said, "If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were."

 _Love._ Maya mulled the word over in her mind for a moment. Yes, she was in love with Joshua Matthews, and no, she wasn't too young to feel that way, no matter what anyone else said. The real question was whether or not Josh was _the one_. Again, Maya had hope, but ultimately, only time would tell. Maya sighed deeply. She was about to experience the longest four years of her life.


	2. Four Years Later

4 Years Later...

It was _finally_ happening. In just 24 hours, Shawn and Katy would be getting married, officially making him a part of their family, and Maya was ecstatic. They had gone out on their first date shortly after Maya's 15th birthday, and it took Shawn nearly three years to finally pop the question. He had been scared, and Maya couldn't really blame him. From the stories, she had heard from the Matthews, Maya realized that things never ended well for Shawn, but this...this was different. Everyone has at least one happy story, and this, his relationship with Katy and Maya, was it. Maya even told him so, which finally pushed Shawn to propose this past Christmas. Not wanting to wait any longer than she had to to become Mrs. Hunter, (because honestly three years was long enough!) Katy had suggested they elope over New Year's, but Shawn vetoed that idea, saying he wanted to do things right and have their friends and family there. In the end, they settled on taking six months to plan a simple wedding, setting the date for June 11th, exactly one week after the girls' graduation.

Now it was the evening of June 10th, and after running through a rehearsal of the wedding at the local church, they had all gone out to dinner together before heading back to _Topanga's_ for some dessert, which was closed off to the public for the day.

While the adults hung out over by the main counter, chatting and drinking wine, Maya, Riley, and Auggie hung out on the opposite side of the cafe, sipping on champagne flutes filled with sparkling grape juice. Auggie laid across the bench placed below the front window, sprawled out on his back, completely engrossed in some video game on his phone. Perpendicular to him, Maya and Riley sat in cushioned chairs, going through a box of old photos. They were going to make a video collage of the happy couple and show it at the reception tomorrow. Maya had already decided which photos of her mom to use; they just needed to pick out the perfect ones of Shawn. Grandma and Grandpa Matthews helped them out by bringing the girls all the photos of Shawn that they could find, including an old envelope belonging to the late Chet Hunter, containing some of the ones he and Verna, his runaway wife, had taken of Shawn when he was just a baby.

They were having a good time, but Maya couldn't help but be a little annoyed that a particular member of the Matthews' clan was missing. Apparently, Josh bar tends at a place just off campus and couldn't get off work tonight, not if he wanted off for the actual wedding anyway. So, Maya just sighed and held on to the promise of tomorrow as she focused her attention back on the pictures in front of her.

"Hey, Maya?" Riley piped up.

"Yeah?" She answered, making eye contact with her best friend.

"I know this is kind of last minute and all, but..." Riley trailed off.

"Just spit it out, Riles." Maya commanded.

"Would it be okay if I asked Lucas to come to the wedding with me as my date?" Riley finished, looking a little nervous.

"Of course." Maya smiled at her.

"Good, 'cause I already did." Riley said cheekily.

"What if I would've said no?" Inquired Maya, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms as she quirked a brow at her friend.

"Oh, please!" Riley waved a hand. "Like you can say no to this face." She added, then posed with her hands in a v-shape under her face as she gave her friend the most awkward looking smile ever.

Maya just shook her head, then said, "You're right. That is _some_ face."

Riley laughed and went back to looking through the pile of photos she had pulled from the box.

"Oh, what about this one?!" Riley asked excitedly, holding up a photo of Shawn as a toddler all covered in mud with an adorable smile stretched across his face.

"Definitely." Maya nodded as Riley placed it in the "yes" pile.

They began to thumb through more photos when Maya spoke up again.

"You know, instead of bringing Lucas as your date, you should just bring him as your boyfriend." She urged. Everyone knew that Riley and Lucas belonged together, including Riley and Lucas, but Riley was too scared to make the first move, and Lucas was too nice to do it himself. Maya confronted him once about the issue, and he said that he didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for, that he would wait for her to come to him. Needless to say, their relationship has remained in the friend-zone.

"What? No...we're just friends." Riley assured, trying to cover her sudden blush.

"Yeah, friends who flirt and who decided to attend the same college together in the fall." Maya rolled her eyes.

"We do not flirt." Riley insisted. "And we aren't going to college to _together_ , we are going as _individuals."_

"At the same place." Maya threw back at her. "And you know you two are gonna spend every waking moment together."

"Only half of my waking moments." Riley corrected. "The other half I will be spending with you."

"I hope so." Maya sighed, thinking of her letter from NYU and how she got waitlisted.

"You are gonna get in, Maya. They would have to be fools to not let in someone as smart and talented as you." Riley told her, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Thanks for saying that..." Maya smiled, then continued on, "but don't change the subject.

Riley huffed and crossed her arms. "Lucas is _just_ a _friend_!"

"Oh, come on..." Maya began, completely fed up with the situation. "It's so obvious that he really likes you, and you are clearly into him."

"Oh, yeah? How do you know that?" Riley questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"Because... I've seen the way you look at each other. You look at Lucas like he's your whole world. And Lucas? He looks at you like you're _everything_ , everything that's good and pure in this crazy, cruel world of ours. It's the same look that our parents give each other every day." Maya explained, smiling at how much she liked calling Shawn her parent.

Riley glanced over at their parents, then back at Maya before responding, "Really?"

"Really." Maya agreed. "I wish somebody would look at me like that." She added more softly.

"I look at you like that." Riley replied, putting her arm around Maya as she leant her head against Maya's shoulder and smiled up at her like the adorable little dork that she was.

"Let me rephrase," Maya retorted. "I wish that somebody _of the male variety_ would look at me like that."

"You mean someone of the _Josh_ variety." Riley said knowingly as she smirked and let go of her friend.

Maya bit her lip and blushed, staying silent.

"So, you do still have a thing for him!" Riley accused. "I knew it! That's why you never dated anyone in high school."

"Hey, I dated." Maya defended. "Zay and I went out a bunch of times, and then there's Shane." She added, thinking of that bad boy hottie that transferred from a school in New Jersey during junior year, only to get himself expelled a couple months later for tagging the place. _Man, that boy was fine_. Maya thought to herself. She had always had a thing for bad boys.

"Okay, I'll give you Shane, but I think we both know that you never really liked Zay, not in _that_ way. You just used each other as your go-to for school dances and stuff. Remember prom?" Riley offered up as proof.

"I do, Riley. I also remember you going with Lucas." She smiled mischievously.

"Don't change the subject." She commanded, using Maya's words from earlier. "Zay was your way of saving yourself for Josh. Admit it."

"I'm not now, nor was I ever, _saving myself_ for Josh. I just... I never met anyone that made me feel the way he does. So, I just didn't see the point in dating." Maya said truthfully.

"Not everyone experiences love at first sight, Maya." Riley asserted. "Remember when your mom and Shawn first met? They hated each other, but eventually, they gave in and gave each other a chance, slowly but surely falling in love."

"What's your point?" Maya asked dryly.

"That not everyone experiences love at first sight. I literally _just_ said it." Riley said seriously.

Maya opened her mouth, but no words came out. She couldn't think of a clever response to give.

"Look, Maya," Riley went on. "I just think that if you were to give a guy that you _might_ like a _real_ chance and _actually_ took the time to get to know him, then you might _learn_ to love him, eventually feeling that special way that Josh makes you feel."

"Maybe." Maya said, looking over her shoulder at Shawn who had his arms wrapped around Katy from behind and his chin resting on her shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world. The scene made her smile, but it faded quickly. "But does that mean I should stop holding out hope for Josh?" She questioned, looking back at Riley, feeling a little depressed at the thought.

"No." Riley smiled reassuringly. "It just means that maybe you should focus less on Josh and more on finding your own Shawn."

Maya just nodded, not sure what to think.

"Because you never know..." Riley continued. "Josh _could_ be your Shawn, or it could be someone else, someone better."

Inwardly, both girls thought that statement was funny. Maya, because she didn't think any guy could ever be better than Josh, and Riley, because Josh and Shawn were nothing alike, so calling him "her Shawn" seemed to be something of an oxymoron.

"Either way, let's hope I run into this guy soon." Maya commented, trying to make light of the situation.

After that, they let the conversation drop and went back to sifting through the box of photographs. A few minutes went by, then Katy walked over to the girls with a large garbage bag in hand.

"Maya, honey, could you take this out to the dumpster?"

"Sure, no problem." Maya answered sweetly, then looked to Auggie. "Yo, Augs, take out the garbage."

"No, way!" He shouted then stuck is tongue out at her before getting lost in his game again.

"Maya!" Her mom scolded her with a playful slap on the arm.

"Just kidding!" She said, holding her arms up in a surrender position. "I'm going." Maya added as she stood up and grabbed the smelly bag of garbage from her mother.

She headed outside as her mom went back to join the adults. It was dark out, and the night felt cool as Maya made her way around the corner to the giant dumpster in the alleyway, but that probably had more to do with the fact that her legs and arms were left mostly bare in the lace, high waist, sleeveless dress she was wearing, which she accompanied with simple black heels and stud earrings that were covered by her hair that hung loose and curly.

Exiting the alleyway, Maya rubbed her arms for warmth as she looked up at the sky. New York City had lots of lights, making it hard to see any stars that may be in the sky, but every once in a while, she would find some. It was a game Maya loved to play, so as she walked back towards the front door of the cafe, Maya searched her hardest for any natural form of twinkle in the sky.

A few feet from the door, Maya was still looking for stars and _not_ looking where she was going, causing her to run into something solid and bounce off like a bullet ricocheting off metal. Okay, so maybe it wasn't _that_ hard, but it was still quite the shock, especially when she saw who exactly she had run into.

"Whoa, there, blondie." Josh quipped, giving that attractive, boyish grin that she loved so much, which happened to appear a little more masculine than usual since he had some scruff growing in below. Maya couldn't help but smile back, especially as her last words to Riley replayed in her head. _Let's hope I_ _ **run into**_ _this guy soon..._

"Well, if it isn't Uncle Boing?" She greeted teasingly. "I thought you had to work tonight?"

"I got a buddy to cover for me." He informed her as he adjusted his navy colored beanie.

"Ah, I see." Maya nodded.

Josh nodded back, giving Maya a quick onceover. One thing that Josh could say for certain was that Maya was continuing to grow up gorgeous. She looked beautiful in her little black dress, not to mention grown up. He also noted that her make-up was subtle. She did just enough to emphasize the natural beauty that she already had. All that combined with her long, golden locks that hung halfway down her back made Josh's stomach do funny things.

Maya just stood there, watching Josh stare at her for a moment with a look on his face that she couldn't quite describe. _Wait a minute, is he... checking me out?_ Maya questioned inwardly. She wasn't sure, so she decided to just play it cool.

"Well, we should probably head inside." She noted, motioning to the door with her thumb.

"Oh, Right," Josh agreed, snapping back into reality. Realizing that his gaze lingered on Maya for longer than he intended, he suddenly felt embarrassed and a slight blush crept into his cheeks.

Maya smirked in response as she turned and walked to the door. Being the good guy that he was, Josh opened the door for her, letting her enter first with him following right behind.

"Hey guys, look what the cat dragged in!" Maya called out to everyone as she crossed the threshold and went back to her chair next to Riley.

"Hi, Uncle Josh." Riley said with a wave, while Auggie ran over to show him his video game.

"My brutha!" Cory shouted, pointing his index fingers at Josh.

"My brutha!." He pointed back.

"Look at you in that spiffy leather jacket." Cory went on. "It reminds me of the one you used to wear, Shawn." He said, looking toward his childhood friend.

Riley and Maya's eyes immediately snapped to look at Josh's jacket.

"Yeah, it does look similar." Shawn agreed.

"You know," Topanga chimed in. "With that leather jacket on and that facial hair, you actually remind me of a young Shawn.

The girls heads snapped back to look at each other, Maya with a face full of elation and Riley with a face full of shock as they both remembered their conversation from a little bit ago about Maya finding "her Shawn".

"You heard her, Riley! She said it!" She said excitedly with the biggest grin ever plastered across her face.

"Oh. My. God." Riley replied, eyes wide. She had only said that Josh could be Maya's Shawn earlier simply to placate her friend. Riley never really thought that it could be true.

The adults, along with Josh and Auggie, were too busy talking amongst themselves to hear the girls' conversation, which was probably for the best.

" _Josh_ reminds her of _Shawn_!" Maya squealed with delight.

"Oh. My. God." Riley repeated, still not believing what her mother had just said.

"You think it's a sign? It has to be a sign, right?" Maya asked hopefully.

"Maybe..." Riley offered uncertainly, finally coming back to herself. "Or it could all just be a coincidence."

Feeling a bit deflated, Maya bit her lip and looked over at Josh who was coaching Auggie through the current level of his video game. She smiled.

"I can handle maybe." She told Riley, not ready to give up hope completely. Riley smiled and nodded, then let the conversation drop as she grabbed another handful of photos from the box on the table in front of them. Maya did the same, and they didn't speak of Josh or "her Shawn" for the rest of the evening. _If it's meant to be, it will find a way._ She told herself, trusting the universe to make things happen, as they should.


	3. Finally

The wedding was beautiful. It was a short ceremony, but it still held all the love and emotion that a wedding should. Everyone expected emotional tears from Katy, but when Shawn cried as he recited his handwritten vows, there wasn't a dry eye in the church.

Two hours later, after lots of pictures, all the friends and family reconvened at the reception hall. Cory had just given a lovely toast as Shawn's best friend and best man. Now, as the maid of honor, it was Maya's turn.

Maya gathered up all the courage she had and got up from her seat next to her mother, walking to the small stage that the band was set up on. Maya stood front and center in her floor length, chiffon gown. It was a light coral, strapless number with vertical layers pouring out from the dark coral sash around her waist. Her hair was perfectly curled and pulled half up by a sparkly, silver clip, which matched her simple, silver jewelry set she was wearing. Maya felt vibrant, beautiful, and somewhat confident. She took a deep breath and grabbed the microphone.

"Hey, everybody. So, first off, I would like to thank you all for spending this special day with my family and me. It really means a lot to all of us." She smiled, giving a quick glance to the newlyweds. "Now, I'm not the greatest with speeches, so I'll keep this short and sweet... when I was at the church today and the priest pronounced my mom and Shawn husband and wife, my first thought was _...finally_." The crowd laughed. "We were finally a family." Maya continued. "But then it hit me, we were _always_ a family, ever since you two went out on that first date three years ago. Today just made it official." Maya smiled brightly. "So, please join me in raising a glass to my official family." Maya raised her glass of champagne high above her head. "To family!"

"To family!" They all repeated.

Maya downed her glass quickly, needing some liquid courage for what she was about to do next.

"One last thing before I let you get back to the party," She added. "The thing is, recently my mom has been dropping a few hints that she would like me to sing a song at the reception, and by a few hints I mean bugging me nonstop about it." She threw her mom a wink and they crowd chuckled. Maya loved music, from writing it to singing it, but she had never showed anyone her songs before, or let anyone hear her sing. It was something she kept private, but after her mom overheard her belting out some lyrics in the shower one day, she kept insisting that Maya should sing at the wedding reception. Just the thought of it made her so nervous she could vomit, but Maya figured it was a good test. If she could do this, then she could handle being a performing arts major at NYU... if she got in, that is.

Maya was planning to sing some cheesy love song from a list of top wedding songs she had found online, but instead she decided to do an original, something that would capture the essence of Shawn and Katy's love. She asked them once what love felt like, mainly because she was trying to figure out her feelings for Josh, and they had used some interesting metaphors. Her favorite was Shawn's description of love being when you can look into someone's eyes and immediately feel at peace. Maya really liked that concept and wrote it down, along with a few other things they said. She had come across this page in her notebook recently and felt inspired, staying up all night writing the perfect song. She really hoped they liked it. She really hoped they _all_ liked it.

"Well, your nagging paid off mom! I ended up writing a little something just for the two of you. You guys actually inspired it. It's about what love's like, about what _your_ love is like, and what I imagine love to be like for me one day." She gave her parents a warm smile, but spared Josh a quick lance on the last few words. Looking back to her mom and Shawn, she continued. "The song is call "Your Love's Like" and I hope you all like it.

A moment later the music started, compliments of a premade CD and Farkle's sound system that he set up in exchange for an invite to the wedding. Maya placed the microphone on its stand and gripped it with two hands and waited or her cue. She heard the special note and opened her mouth...

 _"_ _Sometimes life gets bitter_ _  
I get strung out, caught in the middle  
And I can't breathe  
I just need a little taste of paradise  
I know a place I can escape to  
Where I go, troubles never break through.  
The grass is greener, my head is clearer,  
I got peace of mind, when I fall into your eyes..._

 _Your love's like breathing in the salty air  
of summer on a private island just for me.  
Your love's like the feeling I get  
when my favorite song's spinnin' in my head,  
Keep it play playin' on repeat.  
It's like flowers in the spring time,  
Every day is Valentine's,  
So good it's hard to describe.  
It's like Paris after midnight,  
Dancing in the moonlight.  
That what your love,  
That's what your love's like.  
That's what your love,  
That's what your love's like.  
That's what your love,  
That's what your love's like."_

Maya looked at the newlyweds, the whole time she sang. By the end of the first verse, her mom was crying happy tears, and Shawn just sat there, beaming up at her like a proud father. Euphoria flowed through Maya's veins upon seeing their expressions, making her power on into the next part of the song. During verse two, Maya got so lost in song, she didn't notice the exact moment Shawn pulled Katy to the dance floor to have their impromptu first dance to her song. Maya also didn't notice Riley recording the whole thing on her phone. By the start of verse three, she couldn't help herself, she had to do it. She fixed her gaze on Josh, locking eyes with him as she smiled softly, willing him to understand the meaning of the words that were flowing out of her mouth.

 _"_ _When life has left me numb,_ _  
And I need a pick me up,  
There's no better rush than your love,  
Your love, your love...  
Your love's like breathing in the salty air  
of summer on a private island just for me..."_

It was obvious that she sang that last verse completely to Josh, but most people were up dancing along with the newlyweds, so they didn't really notice. Josh, however, was not. He stood, staring at Maya, watching her belt out every note full of passion. He was smiling at first, but then it faded at that last verse when he met Maya's eyes. He gulped as his stomach did funny things again. This song may have been influenced by Shawn and Katy's love, but Josh knew it was really about her feelings for him. _She still loves me_. Josh thought, suddenly feeling overjoyed, partly because he also realized in that moment that he was in love with her too. He knew he was having special feelings for her, he had always had special feelings for Maya, but this was the first time he understood just how deep those feelings ran.

Maya finished the song, dragging out the last few notes, then took a bow as the room erupted with applause. She made her way off of the stage and Shawn and Katy rushed to wrap her in a giant bear hug, expressing just how proud they were of her. After that, Maya was attacked by Riley who squeezed the daylights out of her as she told her how amazing and talented she was. Farkle, his date Isadora, and Lucas all joined in, agreeing with Riley's sentiment. Maya's heart swelled at their words.

Minutes later, the band started into their own rendition of "Love Will Keep Us Together" and everyone started dancing again. Maya was dancing with Riley and the guys when she caught a glimpse of Josh over Riley's shoulder. He was marching toward her with a determined expression on her face. Pushing his way past Riley, he grabbed Maya by the arm, and dragged her over to the corner.

 _Okay, he's angry_. Maya thought. _Maybe I shouldn't have sang directly to him, it probably embarrassed him. I'll just apologize and-_

Josh stopped and turned to face her once they were in the corner, his words breaking her from her thoughts.

"That song you sang was about me, wasn't it?" He queried, wanting to hear her say it aloud, to make sure they were on the same page, that they had the same feelings.

Maya sighed, "Yes, it was, but I-"

She never got to finish her thought for before she could, Josh had grabbed her face with both of his hands and pulled her in for a long, hard kiss.

Maya was stunned, leaving her eyes wide open for a second before letting them flutter closed to fully enjoy the blissful moment. A little bit ago, her heart was soaring, but now it was exploding. The moment their lips touched, they both went back to that night four years ago when they had shared their first kiss. She had surprised Josh with that kiss, and now he was surprising her with this one. If this was karma, Maya was ready for all of her wrongs to be righted.

Suddenly, something occurred to Maya, and she pushed Josh away, breaking the kiss.

"No." She said, pulling his hands from her face. "Don't kiss me like that, not if you don't mean it."

Josh looked at her like she was crazy, as he responded, "Of course I mean it."

"Maybe you mean it now, but later will you still feel the same way?" She asked before continuing. "Because letting you go the first time was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and I don't think I can do it again."

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little guilty. "Look, Maya, I know that I was sort of a jerk in the past, but I just didn't get it then..." He paused, dropping his hand and taking a step toward Maya before he went on. "But I get it _now_."

"What are you saying, Josh?" She questioned seriously, feeling totally lost.

"I'm _saying_ that I don't want you to let me go again...I want to be with you...I love you, Maya."

"Oh," Maya stated. "Well, in that case..." She finished her sentence with a cheeky smile before throwing her arms around Josh's neck and pulling him back in for another kiss. His arms immediately wrapped around her waist, hands resting on the small of her back as he pulled her flush against him.

This kiss was the best yet. They were both ready for it this time, allowing them to fully pour their heart and soul into the kiss. It was long and passionate and everything Maya had dreamed of.

Needing a moment to catch her breath, Maya broke the kiss softly. Leaving their arms in place, they just stared at each other happily.

"Dance with me?" Josh asked hopefully as the band began playing a slower song.

Maya just blushed and nodded with a smile, which Josh returned before reaching up to grab both of her hands and leading her out onto the dance floor. Once in the middle of the floor, they held onto to each other like they had done a minute ago, this time swaying from side to side.

Flicking her eyes around the room for a second, Maya caught a glimpse of her mom and Shawn dancing to her right with their foreheads pressed together. Then, to her left, she also noticed that Riley and Lucas were looking pretty cozy on the dance floor with Riley's head resting on his shoulder as they moved to the beat.

Looking back into Josh's eyes, Maya sighed contentedly then leaned a cheek against his chest. She smiled as the chorus of the song rang out at that exact moment.

 _"I finally found the love of a lifetime,_  
 _A love to last my whole life through.  
I finally found the love of a lifetime.  
Forever in my heart,  
I finally found the love of a lifetime."_

Maya didn't know the name of the song or the artist, but nonetheless she decided that it was perfect for this moment.

Two weeks later, Cory and Topanga had a big family dinner at their place. The guests included Shawn, Katy, Maya, Josh, and Lucas, who was now officially dating Riley. Turns out, they had their own special moment at the wedding as well, then a few days later, Riley officially asked him to go steady. Maya was ecstatic when she heard the news, and they proceeded to plan a double date for that night.

The adults were talking in the kitchen about Shawn and Katy's honeymoon in Cancun, while the Riley, Lucas, Josh, Maya, and Auggie sat in the living room playing Apples to Apples. Auggie had just won for the fifth time in a row, when Maya pulled a long white envelope from the inside of her jean jacket. It was from NYU and would tell her whether or not she had been officially accepted. Maya got it the day before, but decided to wait until she was with her family, her _whole_ family, to open it.

Maya just stared at it a moment, until Josh nudged her shoulder. He was the only one who knew she had gotten the letter.

"Gonna open it?" He inquired.

"Open what?" Riley suddenly asked her, then noticed the letter in her best friend's hands. "Oh, my god! You got your letter! Maya got her letter!" She shouted excitedly for the whole house to hear.

The adults all rushed over to stand around their children.

"What are you waitin' for, baby girl? Open it!" Katy urged.

Maya took a breath and began to tear open the letter.

"Wait!" Riley said, grabbing her hand, stopping her before she could actually make a tear. "There is something that you need to know first."

"What?" Maya looked at her friend curiously.

"Do you remember that song that you sang at your mom's wedding?"

"Yeah..." Maya stated hesitantly.

"Well, I videoed it." Riley told her.

"I know, Riles, I saw you."

"Yes, but what you don't know is that I made a copy and sent it to the NYU admissions office."

"You what?" Maya asked incredulously.

"You're so talented, Maya, and you _deserve_ to get into this school, and...I just wanted the admissions board to see it for themselves, to see what I see every day."

As Maya moved a hand over Riley's, her expression softened.

"That's sweet, Riles, but you have got stop interfering with my life like this." Maya said seriously.

"I can't." Riley stated.

"And why not?" Maya questioned.

"Because...we're sisters, remember? And sisters stick up for each other, no matter what."

Maya smiled as she recalled their conversation outside the NYU dorms four years ago, when they had attempted to crash Josh's first college party. It was the first time that Riley had referred to Maya as her sister and not just her best friend. It was one of Maya's favorite memories.

"Thanks, Riley." She smiled, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Enough already!" Josh half-shouted, plucking the envelope right out of Maya's hand and tearing it open. He didn't want to ruin the girls' moment, but he was dying to know what the letter said. Josh had three more years left at NYU, one to finish his bachelor's degree in business, then two additional years of grad school, and he just _had_ to know if he would be sharing those years with Maya. He had been waiting nearly 24 hours already, and it was pure torture.

"Hey, that's mine!" Maya yelled as she stood, reaching for the folded up piece of paper in his hands.

"It affects me too!" Josh fired back with a wicked grin, using the same words Maya had used when _she_ had opened _his_ letter from NYU all those years ago. She smiled mischievously, knowing exactly what to do next.

Josh went to take a few steps away, but Maya was too quick. Before he was able to get too far away from her, she stood up on the couch and jumped forward, landing hard on his back. As everyone just watched the scene unfold in front of them in amusement, Maya secured her jean short clad legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Once Maya felt stable, she reached one hand out towards the letter, which Josh proceeded to hold high above his head.

"Give it!" She demanded.

Josh ignored her and proceeded to read the letter.

"Dear Applicant Mrs. Boing..." He began.

Maya shook her head and reached harder for the letter.

"It doesn't say that!" She scolded playfully.

"This year we are only accepting applicants who are dating ruggedly handsome seniors."

"It doesn't say that!" Maya repeated as she rolled her eyes, still trying to rip the thing from his grasp.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda..." Josh pressed on. "we regret to inform you..." Josh trailed off, dropping his hand down and growing silent.

Maya's heart stopped, and her eyes went wide a moment, before she slid off Josh's back.

"Regret to inform me?" She repeated softly as her feet hit the floor, ready to curl up in a ball a cry.

Josh turned to face her and the rest of the spectators who all wore somber expressions, before he continued to read further.

"We regret to inform you that you will be spending the next few years in the same college as Josh!" He exclaimed, wearing the biggest grin she had ever seen.

"I got in?!" She asked disbelievingly.

"You got in!" Josh assured her, finally handing over the letter.

Maya scanned it quickly to make sure.

"I GOT IN!" She shouted before throwing her arms around Josh's neck. He hugged her back tightly as he lifted her feet off of the floor and spun her around in a circle out of both excitement and pride.

"My turn!" Riley yelled as Josh set Maya back down on her feet, then proceed to squeeze Maya's guts out.

Katy couldn't wait any longer, so she came around the side of the couch and hugged Maya from the other side, along with Shawn.

"I'm so proud of you, baby girl!" She exclaimed, happy tears pooling in her eyes.

"We both are." Shawn corrected, beaming at both of them.

"We _all_ are." Cory stated matter-of-factly.

"Congratulations, Maya." Topanga smiled, as the rest of them all joined in, trapping Maya in gigantic group hug.

Maya never felt more loved, then she did in this moment. She thought her heart was going to explode with happiness.

They all began to separate and let go of Maya, when Topanga shouted, "This calls for dessert!"

Five minutes later, the group was scattered about the kitchen and living room areas. Maya was on the couch, sitting on Josh's lap as they shared a piece of strawberry pie. Peeking over Josh's shoulder, Maya noted her mom and Shawn on the window seat doing the same. Then, glancing across the room, she noticed Lucas and Riley cuddled up at the end of the kitchen table, stealing bites of each other's slices.

Maya was beyond happy. She put her faith in the universe, trusting that things would work out and, boy, did they ever. Riley was _finally_ with Lucas, Shawn was _finally_ an official part of her family, and Maya had _finally_ gotten into the school of her dreams and _finally_ won over the boy of her dreams.

Everything was as it should be.

 _Finally._


End file.
